France was enjoying a nice day outside for once. The sun was perfectly placed in the sky. A soft breeze lightly blew past him and he just wanted to bask in one of there rare, peaceful moments.
That was, until he heard a heart breaking wail come from the forest. His heart skipped a beat, seeing as how it scared the man out of his own little moment. Another sob followed a moment later and the young Nation couldn't help but run to the sound. He didn't get far into the forest before he saw a small boy crouched down on himself in a open area of the woods. France approached the child, thinking it was just another hurt boy in the forest. Only a few steps later was when he saw a small patch of sandy blond hair poking out of the dark green cloak. Another few steps and he could see the shake in the boy's shoulders and see the scratched up hands of the child holding onto something. Francis saw that the item glimmered in the light but also kept him from seeing it properly. Suddenly, the boy sat up and held the object to his chest and let loose another sob. This time, however, he sobbed out a word.
"Mum..." France knew that voice and that accent all to well, and didn't try to stop his feet from carrying him the rest of the way to the boy.
"Arthur?" The child stopped his shaking and froze completely. Francis called to him again, and this time the boy said something.
"M-mum... Mummy, sh-she went somewhere... She is not h-here... F-France? I-I want my Mummy b-back..." Arthur sobbed between his words and at some paints he chocked on them. But it didn't take France much to figure out what happened.
"Arthur," Unlike many other times, too many for Francis to actually count, he sounded kind. "I can't make you Mother come back." He tried to explain to the poor child, he was to young for others to tell him what happens to one of them when they fall from power. Mother Britannia must have finally broken. Another heart tearing sob escaped Arthur and France finally put a hand on the boy's shoulder and ran it up and down his back.
"Listen, when a Nation get's weak they either get sick or... disappear. It's normal and will happen to all of us one day. It just so happened to be your mothers time. Now, what exactly happened?"
Arthur told France, it took a long time since the boy didn't once stop crying. It turns out that Arthur was playing with his new friend 'Flying Mint Bunny' and Britannia came running to him. She looked sick, he said, and spoke quickly. Arthur said he didn't understand much of what she said. Mostly, "I love you"'s and she finished with a weak goodbye before she fell to the ground and slowly vanished. Arthur was sobbing the whole time, and he finally showed France just what he was holding. It was Britannia's old necklace, the one she always wore, it was a simple design. Just a rose made out of gold,she would say she made it herself, and it was something everyone could recognize as hers. Arthur held it to him and continued to cry, it has been long past an hour and France didn't understand how the boy could cry so much. He never even saw the boy let loose a tear before, but France did know it's good to let it all out.
He gently lifted the boy to his chest and held him tightly. "It is alright, Arthur. She is not quite gone, you will always remember her. She will be watching you through life, just like Rome watches his own Grandsons." Arthur gave up on trying to speak and just grabbed a handful of the older blonds blue tunic and cried harder.
"Ngh... nngh..." It was a few minutes later that the crying slowed, his tears flowed, but the sobs that shook his small frame were stopping.
"..." France couldn't do anything but watch the young boy, he was almost done crying and Francis wished he could do something to help. It broke his heart all the more knowing that now, without Britannia, little Arthur had no one else to do this kind of thing for him. Everyone knew his other brothers didn't care for him, they barely even noticed the lonely boy, and Britannia was the only one who actually raised Arthur. He smiled, knowing he will have to take her place.
It wasn't until Arthur cried himself tired and fell asleep on France for the boy to stop crying. Francis just stood up, still holding the child to his chest, and headed back to his house. He would wait fro Arthur to wake up, feed the boy a much needed warm meal and again, hold the child until he cried himself to sleep. He knows he wont be the best big brother, and he damn well knows the two of them are going to fight. But he hope that, for the rest of their lives, he can be there for Arthur on the days like this.